Rachel Smith is the founder of Bitten by Books, a new book review site focusing on paranormal fiction, urban fantasy and horror. At the moment, the sites has 18 reviewers who review about 100 books a month. Smith considers both electronic and print copies. She's also currently looking for more reviewers to join her team, especially those who are willing to review e-books and love the paranormal/urban fantasy genre. In this interview, Smith talks about her site, reviewing, and the long-lasting appeal of vampires in literature.

Thanks for this interview, Rachel. Why don't you start by telling us a bit about yourself?

I am an avid reader and have been since the early 70's. I enjoy primarily paranormal fiction, but can occasionally be caught reading non-fiction, chic-lit or books on esoteric subjects. I am the founder of Bitten by Books, which takes up a large amount of my time. When not reviewing books, I can be found blogging about my favorite products at Weird Stuff in my Desk or creating custom perfume blends and doing readings for my other business, Fragrant Soul. I have also worked as a spiritual counselor and teacher for many years. When not reading or hanging out online I enjoy spending time with my husband, playing with our gaggle of dachshunds, and listening to music.

Tell us about your blog, Bitten By Books. How did it get started?

Bitten by Books really stemmed from my obsession with paranormal fiction. I read about 4-6 books per week on average, which is a lot of information rolling around in my head. I found that if I could write down my thoughts about the books, it helped clear the mental backup, and cleared my reading palette for a more enjoyable experience with future books. I also wanted to review books at my own pace, on my own terms, so starting Bitten by Books seemed like the right thing to do. Little did I know how popular the site would become.

How many books do you review a month?

Bitten by Books has over 18 reviewers and as a whole we review 100 plus books per month at this time. Personally I review about four books a week, although it really depends on what is going on for the site each week. I review less on weeks where we host author spotlights, and more when a reviewer is on vacation or book volumes are higher. Our goal is four reviews posted to the site, seven days a week. We are currently meeting and exceeding that goal.